Signs point to Garoppolo trade

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The minute the Patriots drafted Jacoby Brissett, the wheels were set in motion for the team to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo.

As the 2016 season unfolded, it was notable how the Patriots staff treated their rookie third-string quarterback. From letting Brissett travel with the team while on injured reserve to taking him off IR so he could get more practice reps, it was clear the coaching staff worked hard on his development.

Patriots backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo showed his stuff during a brief showcase this season, and now there will be suitors for his services at New England's door. Associated Press/Elise Amendola

All the work the Patriots put in with Brissett last season has led to this much-anticipated 2017 NFL offseason. Although the number of free agents and the amount of cap space the Patriots have will garner plenty of headlines, one of the biggest storylines over the next few months will be what happens with Garoppolo.

It seems like only a matter of time before Garoppolo is shipped elsewhere and as it turns out, the Patriots have plenty of options. It’s been reported from several outlets that the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears are planning to make strong runs at the Patriots’ backup quarterback.

According to CBS Sports, the Bears are “eager to move on from (quarterback Jay) Cutler” and have made getting Garoppolo their “top offseason priority.” According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “the Browns interest in Garoppolo is real.”

Another option, according to the NFL Network, is San Francisco. The 49ers reportedly will target Kirk Cousins, but if they can’t land the Washington quarterback, they’ll set their sights on Garoppolo.

Any trade for Garoppolo will likely be very beneficial for the Patriots. After seeing the Philadelphia Eagles land a first and fourth-round draft pick for the mediocre Sam Bradford, one would think that every trade proposal for Garoppolo starts with a first-round pick.

One problem the Patriots may have with the three teams linked to Garoppolo is that their picks are all within the top three – Cleveland at No. 1, San Francisco No. 2 and Chicago No. 3.

One possibility is that the Patriots try to pry away the Browns’ second first-round pick – No. 12 – in a deal for the player Cleveland believes is its next franchise quarterback. Cleveland also holds two seconds-round picks (33rd and 51st overall).

It also wouldn’t be surprising to see the Patriots work out a deal with Chicago since the New England front office has a good relationship with Bears General Manager Ryan Pace. In the past two years, the Bears and Patriots have orchestrated deals for Martellus Bennett and Jon Bostic. To add to the intrigue is that Pace also went to Eastern Illinois, the same college Garoppolo where played.

Of course, there’s some risk when trading away your backup quarterback – especially when Tom Brady is set to turn 40 years old in August. The writing on the wall, however, has been there over the past year.

The main factor in this situation is Brady and how he’s been playing. Considering it was reported last week that the Patriots want to extend Brady, who’s under contract for the next three years, even longer, it’s clear the team isn’t worried about his age.

Another consideration is that Garoppolo only has one year left on his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2018. Next season, Garoppolo’s total cap hit is $1,108,513 million.

The other option is to keep the young quarterback and use the franchise tag on him next offseason, but then you have to find a team willing to take on a new quarterback with a cap hit around $20 million – a much bigger risk than taking a quarterback with a low cap hit and seeing if he fits before extending him. Financially, it’ll be easier to move Garoppolo this offseason.

But the biggest indicator that the Patriots will move on from Garoppolo is Brissett. The Patriots drafted the quarterback in the third round last year so he could develop behind Garoppolo for a year and learn how to be Brady’s top backup. It was clear this past season how much the Patriots cared about Brissett’s development.

Allowing a rookie on injured reserve to travel to away games is unprecedented, but the team did it so Brissett could see games up close to help his development. When the time came to remove one player from IR, the Patriots chose Brissett just so he could get the practice reps.

Now that Brissett has some experience, it’s time for the Patriots to cash in on Garoppolo.

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